Petite Fashion Advice

"Styling Tricks to Looking Taller and Flattering Your Petite Height"

After going through the petite fashion advice guidelines to putting together outfits that help you look your best, it's time to look at how we can use the fashion tips in real-life!

Courtesy of Nordstrom

Now let's review the best styling tricks that elongate your body frame, and help you avoid the dreaded "Oh look, the little person is dressing like a grown up"-chuckles!

Petite Fashion Advice #1:
Vertical Details Are Your Best Friends

... because they make the eye go up and down.

So select garments with strong vertical prints and details.

Examples are:

Zip front

Cable knit patterns

Pleats

Visible vertical garment stitches

Also look for jewelry styles with a vertical, long pendant shape. Long necklaces help too.

Wear a V-neck

It's known to be one of the necklines (along with deep and slim scoop necks) that helps elongate your body frame, especially your torso.

Everything else, like square and crew necks tend to widen your upper part and make you look shorter (especially your upper body).

Show more skin if possible with a low'ish v-neck. If it's outside of your conservative comfort zone, I suggest adding a fitted camisole (similar to your skin tone) underneath it.

Tip: If you're wearing a round or square neckline you can counter the widening effect by topping it off with something vertical like a long necklace.

Petite Fashion Advice #2:
Go for a Monochromatic Outfit

'Monochromatic' means wearing the same color but in different nuances (eg. chocolate brown, chestnut brown, beige), but can also work with colors that have the same value (light, medium or dark).

This helps create a long and lean, and not least uninterrupted silhouette. Make it interesting with accessories in your favorite colors and styles but make sure you place them on areas you don't mind drawing attention to. Learn how to put together a monochromatic outfit

Tip: A trick if you can't live without the white tee and jeans look, is to top it off with a vest or jacket in a similar dark color that hooks to the bottom garment. This makes sure that the eye continues to go down without any distractions.

Petite Fashion Advice #3:
Show Some Skin

Showing more of your skin can help elongate your frame because there's less of contrasting colors that visually cut you up. So go for knee, length to mini skirts and dresses and deep necklines.

But alternatively, wearing a clothing similar to your skin tone can give you that long and lean look.